| This article is written from the Real World perspective |  |
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| Series | Silver Surfer | ||||||||
| Release Date | February 28, 1998 | ||||||||
| Episode Number | 4 (Overall) | ||||||||
| Writer | Larry Brody Chris Kane | ||||||||
| Director | Roy Allen Smith | ||||||||
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Silver Surfer begins his search across the cosmos for his lost home of Zenn-La. After hearing that one of his people is on a far off world, he finds himself trapped on a slave labor planet. He must free everyone there while learning of his own personal connection to the overseers.
Story
Somewhere in the depths of space, a wormhole opens up. Silver Surfer comes through screaming.
He looks tortured saying to himself that the universe has been torn apart and that he has been betrayed.
He floats along noting that he is now free but wonders where to go and what to do as he no longer has a place in the cosmos. He approaches an asteroid belt saying that he has nothing and no one.
He notes that Galactus has taken his world from its rightful place. He flies through an asteroid's hole saying his former master has hidden both his home and his beloved.
His eyes glow and he looks over at an asteroid. He blasts it apart screaming Galactus' name. He destroys two more demanding that Galactus return Zenn-La and his Shalla-Bal. He floats just outside the belt and destroys all the asteroids.
The fires of his attacks dissipate leaving Silver Surfer in the vastness. He stands on his board wondering what he is doing noting that he was once a man of peace not anger.
He looks over and sees an asteroid on fire hurtling through space. He follows it vowing that Galactus, despite all his great power, will never make him into a creature of destruction.
The asteroid makes its way towards a large space station. Silver Surfer vows to stop what he foolishly began before it is too late. He zooms ahead.
As he passes, an enormous figure appears behind him. The man tells his sister that this is Silver Surfer. He tells her to remember him as he could be the one they seek.
She appears next to him saying she doubts that. The brother retorts that she knows the Watcher highly regards him. The sister scoffs and asks how they can rely on Silver Surfer to protect the universe when his own anger is causing tragedy. A star twinkles in her enormous eye.
The asteroid hurtles closer to the station.
Silver Surfer zooms ahead and gets between the asteroid and station. As the asteroid comes closer, Silver Surfer fires blasts from both his hands.
The asteroid explodes in a fantastic explosion and it breaks apart. However, pieces continue onward and impact the station causing more explosions.
As the explosions stop, Silver Surfer shields himself then looks around. He looks at the damage done to the station. He chastises himself for using the Power Cosmic for violence and destruction.
He flies forward vowing to make amends. He flies into the station's side port.
Inside, alarms are blaring. He flies around and looks down at the people inside. They all turn their heads when he approaches and begin chattering nervously.
Silver Surfer lands and steps off the board. The board rises into his arms. He looks around as the people grow angry.
Silver Surfer addresses them to offer his apologies. A woman approaches him from behind wailing that he destroyed all of her family. Tears begin streaming down her face.
As he faces her, a man behind him orders him to leave. Silver Surfer turns and another man yells that he brings misery wherever he goes calling him a plague.
Silver Surfer tells the woman that she does not understand, then realizes she is blind. He drops his board offering to help. He puts his hands to the side of her head and fires energy from his eyes into hers.
The other people begin screaming. One man says he is attacking her. The people around them grow restless.
Silver Surfer stops and the woman claims she can see. She begins crying saying that she has no more loved ones left to look at. She begins pounding on his chest saying that sight won't bring them back.
Silver Surfer looks grim remembering Galactus words to him above Earth about keeping the Powe Cosmic not as a gift but as a brand. He remembers seeing the faces of the humans, to which he sacrificed himself, reacting in fear at the sight of him. He recalls Galactus telling him to overcome their fear and hatred of him.
Silver Surfer turns away from the woman and his board floats to him. She falls to the ground on her knees to begin sobbing. He walks away through the crowd as others approach her.
Later, Silver Surfer wanders down an alley. The creatures there turn to watch him walk by as he enters a business.
Inside, people stand and sit around a bar drinking and chatting. Everyone stops and stares when Silver Surfer enters.
The bartender holds up four of her six arms saying she does not want trouble and the drinks are on the house. He approaches saying he does not need food or drink but does need information. He asks about the planet Zenn-La.
A Skrull with a face mask stands asking what the Herald of Galactus wants with a world that his master has decided is inedible. Silver Surfer turns towards him announcing that he no longer serves Galactus and only seeks to return to his homeworld.
The people in the bar gasp. The Skrull realizes this is why Galactus turned away saying his planet bought the world eater off by offering Silver Surfer to find other victims instead. Silver Surfer retorts that this was never the intention.
The Skrull replies that intentions mean nothing. He claims that his Nest-Brother foolishly believed the "lies" about Zenn-La. He reveals that Husserl went there intending to find peace and that his honor earned him an early end.
The Skrull transforms into a large green beast and roars. The Skrull approaches but Silver Surfer stands calmly. The Skrull swipes at his head with his massive claw but does no damage except to slice off the ends of his own fingers. Silver Surfer stands completely unaffected, not even flinching.
The people all begin chattering. Silver Surfer apologizes but says he is wrong about Zenn-La. The Skrull transforms back into himself saying it is not over yet. He claims that he and his entire world betrayed the entire universe to stay alive. He says that by the Hive-Mother he will make Silver Surfer pay.
The bartender gets Silver Surfer's attention. She says she heard a rumor that someone from Zenn-La was on a backwater Kree planet called Morovus in the Iwanter Quadrant. He asks if she is certain and the bartender swears.
Silver Surfer stands on his board and floats away. The bartender wipes her brow in relief as he leaves.
As he flies out of the station he wonders if he can accept what he has just heard. He acknowledges that it is one thing for Silver Surfer to be hated but he does not like that his planet faces the same scorn.
A wormhole opens up and he flies in.
The wormhole opens up on another part of the cosmos and he flies out. He looks over at the planet Morovus. He notes that the planet appears primitive with no sign of civilization.
A flash of light appears on the surface and a ship flies past Silver Surfer towards one of the planet's moons. The ship hovers over to a structure on the moon.
Silver Surfer notes that the Kree have dominated most of the universe for millennia. He wonders what a race so advanced would want with a planet like this. He also wonders if it actually does have someone from Zenn-La.
He flies towards the surface of the planet. Around it, numerous machines scan below. As he passes one it stops and opens up.
Silver Surfer suddenly hits an energy field. He bounces back screaming in pain. He flies back and grabs his board to stand once again.
He looks and sees the entire planet surrounded in some kind of energy field. He realizes that the Kree are as powerful as their reputation.
He thinks that if he has to get to the surface to find his planet then he will. He fires blasts from his hands but they simply bounce back. The blast hits him knocking him off his board.
He floats over to one of the deflectors wondering if it can actually turn his Power Cosmic against him. He thinks that there must be a way to neutralize the barrier.
He begins to push against the deflector. He thinks that on Zenn-La the rule is that even with the highest of technologies simplicity is best. He begins to turn the deflector to the side.
Suddenly, a hole appears in the energy field. Silver Surfer flies through and the field dies down. He thinks that soon he will find Shalla-Bal. Suddenly, the deflectors blast him from behind and he tumbles towards the surface.
Elsewhere, space debris floats towards two massive balls of intertwining energies. Two comets fly by it.
Nearby, Nova comments on how the Hubble Telescope has a great view but now she truly understands the meaning of awesome. She floats nearby with two planets behind her. She thinks about how she cannot wait to tell her friend Amber about being close to a galaxy being formed.
She stops herself thinking to get real and forget it. She looks away reminding herself that everything she knew is gone like Amber and the beach.
Nova then wonders so what. She fires a blast at an asteroid destroying it into millions of pieces. She says that Galactus has given her much more than she ever had.
She looks at her flaming hand then opens it up revealing an image of her younger self. She thinks about how on Earth she was an orphan because of a crash that took her parents. She wonders how she made it outside the car that night with just some bruises and tears.
She flashes back to her laying in the dirt while her family's car sat in flames behind her against a tree.
She suddenly snaps out of it. Galactus appears before her in a bubble. The bubble expands revealing his entire head. He tells his herald that the great hunger is upon him and asks where the next planet is that he can feed on.
She grows flustered and says it's around the corner then corrects herself to say it's up the block. Galactus says he trusts he did not make a mistake with her. He orders her to use the power that only she has. He reminds her that he does not take disappointment well.
Nova watches his image disappear saying that recess is over. She looks around at the various worlds nearby looking for one with the vitamins and minerals he needs to "stay jolly."
She spots one that glows for her and she says jackpot. She flies over noting how there is no rest for the weary. She flies off and disappears into a wormhole.
Back at Morovus, Silver Surfer lies on the ground on the surface. He slowly stirs when he hears two voices. A female voice tells the other, Pip, that not using a chisel or mortar teaches them about how everything in nature fits together in perfect harmony.
Silver Surfer lifts his head groaning. He sees a small man and woman with pointed ears putting bricks onto a wall. The man, Pip, chastises her saying that if everything is perfect why do they do all the work while the Kree get the spoils.
Silver Surfer sits up and struggles to stand. The two see him fall back to the ground and run over to him. Large rock formations stand off in the distance.
Pip tells him to take it easy as he had a "tail-breaking" fall. He tells the woman that he was hoping that if anything fell out of the sky it would be rain.
The woman tells him that the universe has brought them a guest and must make him welcome. The two help him stand. Silver Surfer notes that because of the way they speak he thought he could have been back on Zenn-La.
Pip tells him he's never heard of it. The woman introduces themselves as Pip and Kili. She tells him he is in Work Camp A. Pip jokes that it was called that by their "employers" and they got to love people with that kind of originality.
Silver Surfer introduces himself and notes that they are trolls, the Kree slave force. Pip warns him about how he talks since they are not the only slaves there.
Silver Surfer feels at his neck and sees a band around it just like Pip and Kili have. Kili explains they were ordered to collar him while he was unconscious and apologizes as they couldn't refuse.
Silver Surfer grabs at his collar crying out that he is finally free and will not tolerate this. Other slaves gather around. Pip and Kili scream at him to stop.
The collar suddenly glows. He lets go and looks at his hands. He tries again but this time the collar shocks him. Silver Surfer falls onto his back.
Pip yells that he must let go of the collar. Silver Surfer says he cannot as the collar is holding his hands in place.
As he thrashes about, Silver Surfer remembers that on Zenn-La the Master told them about the power of the mind and how it could overcome the greatest pain.
He suddenly hears the Master's words about the way of the universe being acceptance not denial. Silver Surfer recognizes it and realizes it comes from the collar. An image of the Master appears in his eye as he thinks the Master himself is speaking to him.
Pip reaches down and grabs Silver Surfer's arms. However, he is also shocked and thrown back. Silver Surfer lets go and goes to stand as Kili runs to him.
Kili crouches next to him as Silver Surfer approaches. Pip slowly opens his eyes telling them to lighten up. The two help Pip up as he tells them it will take more than a little static to keep him down.
Pip brushes himself off and Silver Surfer claims he will never forget this. Pip tells him not to worry as he won't forget it either.
Kili warns him to be careful as the collars have their own built-in defense. She explains that as slaves they are completely governed by them and the voices they put into their heads.
Just then, an alarm begins blaring. The slaves stop staring at the newcomer and head back. Pip says it is time for work, unless he wants more "hospitality."
Silver Surfer suddenly realizes that he has lost his board. The collar shocks him again. He falls back to the ground in agony.
He notes that eons of war and subjugation have made the Kree experts at pain and suffering. He joins Kili and Pip in joining the slaves saying it will be better to stay away from the Kree's strengths for the moment.
Nearby, Silver Surfer's board lies half buried in the dirt. It glitters in the sunlight.
Elsewhere in a large facility, Pip and Kili lead Silver Surfer through a large cave while riding a conveyor belt. The slaves work all around the area. Calling him "Slurp," Pip asks him what he thinks of the business his father left behind.
Silver Surfer finds it odd that there are no Kree overseers there. Pip jokes that if he sees any to let him know so they can talk about overtime.
Kili says they are nothing to the Kree. She claims that of all the planets they have worked on they have never seen any beings other than trolls and now Silver Surfer.
Just then, the area begins shaking and debris falls down. Silver Surfer comments that the mountain is unstable. Pip claims it is the whole planet since mining really rips things up making it hard to keep friends.
Silver Surfer asks what they mine for. Pip grabs a device saying that it's the same stuff the Kree always make them dig for. He fires at the wall breaking off a piece. He shows it to Silver Surfer saying that enough of this rock makes more energy collars.
Silver Surfer questions risking their lives for the very thing that keeps them enslaved. Pip tosses it behind him saying the Kree have a crazy sense of humor. The piece tumbles into a cart full of the rock.
Suddenly the mountain begins shaking again and more rocks tumble down. All the slaves begin screaming. Someone claims it is an earthquake.
Outside, the entire facility shakes.
The slaves all run out of the mine.
Just then, a large piece of the mountain breaks off. Slaves tumble out of the new opening. Silver Surfer grabs the side seeing Pip just below falling.
He charges energy in his hands, but the collar begins to glow. He cries out and tumbles down the mountainside along with the others.
As he falls, he claims he will not let the collar control him. He digs his fingers into the dirt and stops himself. He then hears the Master's voice once again talking about the universe being acceptance not denial.
Silver Surfer flashes back to his time as Norrin Radd. He, Shalla-Bal, and others watched Master stack bricks on the ground. Master told them that the truly strong do not resist but absorb.
Silver Surfer realizes that fighting the collar only gives it his power to use against him. He claims he must show true strength and accept the collar. He closes his eyes and grabs it with both hands. He decides to absorb the energies and the collar disappears into his body.
He stands and fires beams down below. Meanwhile, the slaves continue to fall towards the ground. A bright flash of light engulfs the area.
When it dissipates, Silver Surfer stands in a large bubble along with all the fallen slaves. He gently lowers them all to the ground.
The slaves all cheer as Silver Surfer lowers the bubble. Kili claims they are safe and hugs Pip. He retorts that a star cruiser and six-month head start couldn't get them somewhere safe as long as they wear those.
Silver Surfer claims there is a way to change that and offers to show them. He charges his hands and fires at Pip and Kili's collars.
Master's voice once more tells him to feel the energies becoming a part of him. Kili notes that she hears the gentle voice. She claims it has been speaking to them ever since they got to Morovus.
Silver Surfer claims it is the voice of the Unnamed Master of Zenn-La. Just then, the collars float off the two trolls. They feel their necks and Kili claims this cannot be. Pip says they are really free and the two hug.
Pip addresses the other slaves saying they no longer have to "buy the Kree baloney" and they don't have to be slaves.
The other slaves grow exciting as Pip shows off his freed neck. The crowd starts to chant "No more slaves!" when suddenly their collars all shock them.
Pip tells Silver Surfer to help them. The slaves are all screaming in pain. Silver Surfer claims there are too many. He looks up calling out to Master wondering where he is.
Kili tells him there is only one place he could be: the main base at Morovus Prime. Silver Surfer charges his hand and calls his board.
Elsewhere, the board pops out of the ground and flies off. It comes to Silver Surfer and he gets on. He flies off and Pip tries to stop him wondering where he is going and asks that he not leave them.
Silver Surfer flies off into space. He wonders if Master is working with the Kree. He thinks about how they must reunite.
Just then, three of the deflectors orbiting the planet move in front of him. They open fire. Silver Surfer dodges the blasts thinking it will only be possible to reunite if he can reach him.
The deflectors activate the planetary shield. Silver Surfer squeezes in between to panels just as it closes.
He flies off to the nearby moon.
A vast city sits on the moon. Silver Surfer flies down to it theorizing this must be the center of operations and that he will find the answers he seeks here.
Suddenly, one of the domes turns into some kind of energy field and wraps around Silver Surfer. He is pulled down into the building near a giant machine.
The image of a Kree woman with a sword appears claiming she knows him. She tells him he has disturbed a Kree combined intelligence. Silver Surfer retorts that no civilization has the right to subjugate another. He demands that they let the people on Morovus go.
A giant beared Kree man appears saying he is in no position to demand anything. The woman asks if he would free the board he rides on or a lamp that lights the way.
Silver Surfer asks if that is all the trolls are to them are tools. The man says he is correct, as that is the reason they were created. He then claims that this group is useless.
The woman notes that Silver Surfer showed them that the collars can be overcome and that they will no longer selflessly go about their tasks. She points to a screen that shows the slaves marching and chanting.
The man claims their minds have been polluted by the possibility of freedom. The woman then claims that it is fortunate they are expendable as they have billions more to replace them.
Somewhere, a cannon fires a massive blast of energy.
Silver Surfer demands to know what they have unleashed. However, the two images begin flashing in and out. The woman says "that fooL" has begun taking over the system. The man reports that nothing is responding.
Just then, the image of Master appears as the other two disappear. Silver Surfer is shocked to actually see him. He asks how and why. Master tells him, calling him Norrin Radd, there is no time.
He explains that his fellow Governors of Morovus have decided to vaporize his new friends. The energy field around Silver Surfer disappears and he lands on his board. Master orders him to go as it is still possible to stop the carnage. Silver Surfer flies out.
Once outside, he finds the beam and follows it. He thinks about how he left Master on Zenn-La with Shalla-Bal but now finds him here as part of a Kree organic brain system. He notes that instead of finding answers he is getting more questions.
Master's voice once more speaks to him saying he always counseled patience as even the greatest of enigmas have a solution.
Master explains that Norrin's sacrifice moved him as nothing else ever had. He sees a vision of Master joining other aliens in boarding a ship back on Zenn-La. Master waved farewell as others waved back.
Master explains he left Zenn-La with a group of students on a pilgrimage. He hoped to find the same courage Norrin had. The ship left Zenn-La and moved into deep space.
However, the ship came near an enormous ship that sent a beam to the student ship. Master explains they were immediately captured by the Kree.
Inside the ship, one Kree held up a device that displays information on Master. He lowers it to see the man himself, he and the other students surrounded by Kree guards holding their weapons on them.
Master explains that when they found out who he was they found great satisfaction in teaching him their dark techniques. The Kree guards laughed as Master looked grim.
Master warns that the blast is too powerful to destroy or absorb. He says Silver Surfer's mind tells him he can transmute the beam. Silver Surfer wonders what to trasmute it into as he races ahead of the blast.
Silver Surfer flies in front of the blast. He turns and fires blasts from both hands and his eyes. The entire area is engulfed in light.
On the surface, clouds form in the sky. Suddenly, rain comes down while thunder rolls and lightning strikes.
Pip, Kili, and the other slaves feel the rain and jump for joy crying out.
High above, Silver Surfer appears exhausted on his board. He calls out to Master saying it is done. Master says that once again he has proven his worth and now it is time for him to do the same. Silver Surfer stands offering to help him looking out into the clouds.
Master tells him he must go his own way. He explains that as a member of the combined intelligence he was forced to do things of unspeakable evil. Silver Surfer looks shocked.
Speaking from Morovus Prime, Master explains that as atonement he must make sure that the trolls go free.
Inside the intelligence center, the image of Master tells him good bye.
Silver Surfer zooms up into the air telling him to wait. He heads to the planet as Master says that through him he has finally found true courage.
Just then, the Morovus Prime facility blows up and is engulfed in flames.
Silver Surfer hovers above as the smoke rises behind him. He looks down as the entire moon explodes outward. Master's voice last tells him to give his good wishes to Zenn-La.
Silver Surfer cries out wondering where it is. He hears nothing as he looks around the vastness of the empty space.
Back on Morovus, the collars lie in a pile on the ground. Pip kicks one to the side. Silver Surfer hovers nearby saying he admires their courage.
Kili says she is sorry he lost Master. Silver Surfer points out they now have freedom and the thoughts he inspired. He claims that Master would not have asked for more.
Silver Surfer points out that he must leave as Master left long before Zenn-La was moved by Galactus saying he has to continue the search for his home.
Pip tells him to wait and runs up. He tells him that all his life he has gone from planet to planet without learning anything. He asks if he can come with him for a while.
Kili walks up and Pip asks if it is okay with her. She says it is and hugs him. She explains that if he is going to lead their people to freedom then he should know something about it is done. They look into each other's eyes and she asks how else she is to get a good night's rest.
Silver Surfer comments that it has been a long time since anyone treated him like a friend. Pip jumps up onto the board and sits on the front. Silver Surfer forms a bubble around him.
The two of them fly off with Kili watching. They move up into the cosmos and disappear from sight.
Quotes
"The universe has been torn asunder. I have been betrayed. I am free now. But...where do I go? What do I do? No longer do I have a place in the cosmos. I have nothing. No one. Galactus has taken my world from its rightful orbit. He has hidden both my home and my beloved."
- -Silver Surfer
"What am I doing? I was a man of peace, not anger. Galactus, for all your great power, never will you succeed in making me a base creature of destruction."
- -Silver Surfer
"Silver Surfer, my sister. Mark him well. He could be the one we seek."
"I have grave doubts, my brother."
"You know how highly the Watcher regards him."
"How can we rely on this Silver Surfer to protect the universe when, when even now his misplaced fury is causing such tragedy."
- -Eternity and Infinity, first lines
"Is this the use to which I put the Power Cosmic? Violence? Destruction?"
- -Silver Surfer
"People of this station, I offer my apologies."
"You destroyed them all. My family! Gone!"
"Get out of here! Go!"
"You bring misery wherever you go! You're a plague!"
- -Silver Surfer and Space Station Creatures
"Zenn-La? What does the Herald of Galactus want with a world his master has already decided is inedible."
"No longer do I serve Galactus. I merely seek to return to my homeworld."
"So, that's why Galactus turned away. Your planet bought him off by providing you to take him to other victims instead."
"That was never the intention."
"Intentions mean nothing, Surfer! My nest-brother foolishly believed all the lies about Zenn-La. Husserl went there intending to find peace. His honor earned him an early end!"
"I am sorry about your brother. You are wrong about Zenn-La."
"It's not over yet. You and your cursed world betrayed the entire universe to stay alive. And by the Hive-Mother, I'll make you pay."
- -Skrull and Silver Surfer
"It is a basic precept of Zenn-La that even with the highest technology, simplicity is best."
- -Silver Surfer
"The Hubble Telescope's got a pretty good view, but now I know the meaning of awesome!"
- -Nova
"Get real, Frankie. Forget it. Everything you knew and loved is history. No more Amber. No more beach. Ah, so what? Galactus has given me a lot more than I ever had."
- -Nova
"On Earth, I was an orphan thanks to the crash that took Mom and Dad. Never could figure out how I ended up outside the car that night with just a few bruises and a lot of tears."
- -Nova
"My herald. The great hunger is upon me. Where is the next world upon which I can feed?"
"Oh, y-you know. It's...ah...just around the corner. I mean, up the block."
"I trust I have not made a mistake with you, my Nova. Use the power that only you have. Galactus does not take disappointment well."
"Uh oh. Recess is over."
- -Galactus and Nova
"How's that old saying go, no rest for the weary."
- -Nova
"See, see Pip. Not using a chisel or mortar teaches us how everything in nature fits together in perfect harmony."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. If everything's so perfect, how come we do all the sweating? And the Kree get all the goodies!?"
- -Kili and Pip, first lines
"Easy pal, you took a tail-breaking fall. Between us, I was kinda hoping that if anything came falling out of the sky it'd be rain."
- -Pip
"I am free now! This abomination cannot be born!"
- -Silver Surfer
"The way of the universe is the way of acceptance, not denial."
- -Master of Zenn-La
"Lighten up, guys. It'll take more than a little static to fry a prime hunk of manhood like me."
- -Pip
"Eons of war and subjugation have made the Kree experts at causing pain and suffering."
- -Silver Surfer
"You risk your lives to provide the very substance that keeps you enslaved?"
"Hey, who says the Kree crazy little sense of humor."
- -Silver Surfer and Pip
"The truly strong are those who do not resist but absorb."
- -Master of Zenn-La
"Feel the energy, my son. Feel how it becomes part of you."
- -Master of Zenn-La
"This cannot be!"
"We're free, babe. Really free!"
- -Kili and Pip
"No civilization has the right to subjugate another."
- -Silver Surfer
"Master, it is actually you. B-but how? Why?"
"There is no time, Norrin Radd. My fellow governors of Morovus have chosen to vaporize your friends. You must go. It is still possible to stop the carnage."
- -Silver Surfer and Master of Zenn-La
"Instead of answers, my questions are compounded."
"Haven't I always counseled you on patience, Norrin Radd? Even the greatest enigma has a solution. Your sacrifice moved me as nothing else ever has. Soon after, I departed Zenn-La with a group of visiting students on a pilgrimage to see if I could obtain your courage. We were captured by the Kree. When they discovered who I was they found great satisfaction in teaching the Master of Zenn-La their own dark ways."
- -Silver Surfer and Master of Zenn-La
"Master, it is done."
"Norrin Radd, once again you have proven your worth. Now it is time for me to do the same."
"Let me help you."
"No. You must go your own way. As a member of the combined intelligence, I have been forced to participate in acts of unspeakable evil. Now, in atonement, I must do all I can to make certain that the trolls are free. Good bye, my son."
"MASTER, WAIT!"
"Through you, I have at last found true courage. Give my good wishes to Zenn-La."
- -Silver Surfer and Master of Zenn-La, last words
"I admire your courage, little ones."
- -Silver Surfer
"You have freedom and the thoughts he inspired. Never would such a man ask for more."
- -Silver Surfer
"All my life I've gone from planet to planet, and never learned a thing. Could I, kind of, can I hang out with you? Just for a while. I-I-I mean, if it's...if it's okay with you."
"And why wouldn't it be? I-I-If you're going to lead the rest of our people to freedom, you ought to know a little something about how it's done. Besides, how-how else will I ever get...a...good night's sleep."
- -Pip and Kili
"It's been a long time since anyone has treated me as a friend."
- -Silver Surfer
Trivia
- One of the people in the station is in the Nova Corps.
- One of the aliens seen while Silver Surfer heals the blind woman bears a resemblance to Man-Thing.
- The sound the collar makes when it activates is that of a Lightsaber.
- When the alarm blares for the slaves to work, one of the creatures makes the noise of a Tauntaun.
- Master refers to Silver Surfer as son. While it could mean a biological connection, it is more likely meant as protege.
- In the flashback, Master stacks ten bricks.
Goofs
- When he is blasted by the Kree shield, the top of Silver Surfer's head is cut off for a frame.
- When Silver Surfer falls on his back both his hands come off the collar. Pip yells at him to let go and both are trapped. In following shots, only one hand is trapped.
- Why are Pip and Kili the only two trolls who look like small humans?
- When first seen, Silver Surfer's board is buried in a flat sandy area but when he calls the board it is in rock on a slope.
- The shot going out of the eye after Master tells Silver Surfer is the same but in reverse from the shot going into his eye when he begins. Also, the shot before the zoom in and after the zoom out of him going through space is the same. The same shot is repeated yet again, though flipped, when Master is about to sacrifice himself.
- When Silver Surfer leaves with Pip the sky is blue but in all previous shots around Morovus it is red.
Continuity
- The plot of the episode is similar to X-Men's "Slave Island".
- First appearance of Eternity, Infinity, Pip, and Kili.
- Silver Surfer previously met a blind woman named Alicia Masters in the Fantastic Four episode "The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus, Part Two".
- Only appearance of Raze.
- Raze is not named.
- Husserl from "The Origin of the Silver Surfer, Part One" is mentioned by his nest-brother. This is likely another nest-brother, not the same who was in the Horseshoe Nebula when Galactus attacked.
- The episode reveals that Galactus did not wipe Nova's memories as he did with Silver Surfer.
- The Master of Zenn-La was last seen in "The Origin of the Silver Surfer, Part One".
- Death of the Master of Zenn-La.
- Pip joins Silver Surfer on his adventures. They only stay together for two episodes separating in "Learning Curve, Part Two".
- Kili is mentioned in "Learning Curve, Part Two" and next seen in "Second Foundation".
- First episode without Uatu.
Cast
Main Actor Role(s) Paul Essiembre Silver Surfer/Norrin Radd Aron Tager Master of Zenn-La James Blendick Galactus Robert Bockstael Pip the Troll Elizabeth Hanna Kili the Troll John Neville Eternity Tara Rosling Frankie Raye/Nova Elizabeth Shepherd Infinity Len Doncheff Raze
Aron Tager went on to play an emcee at the Canadian bar in the X-Men film.
Many actors on the series also appeared on X-Men. Raze actor Len Doncheff was Omega Red. Pip actor Robert Bockstael was Ka-Zar and Sauron.
The voice actors for the bartender and holographic Kree are unknown.
Background
The title is based on the book The Island of Doctor Moreau. The book follows a shipwrecked man who lands on an island where a doctor is creating human-animal hybrids.
In the comics, Raze is a Skrull bounty hunter who does not have the ability to shapeshift.
Frankie being an orphan is original to the series. In the original comics, at a young age her father ran away and her mother remarried to the man who created the original Human Torch.
Pip was originally created as a comic foil to Adam Warlock in 1975. However, he died two years later. He was later revived as a character in the Silver Surfer comics.
Kili is an original character. She is possibly named after one of the dwarves in The Hobbit. Both the trolls seen here and Tolkien's dwarves share similar statures.
In the comics, the trolls were not created by Kree but are from the planet Laxidazia. Pip was once known as Prince Gofern. His people grew tired of his lewd, lecherous, and hedonistic behavior and stripped him of his rank and he left the planet secretly in a ship to explore the galaxy.
Reception
"Stu" of Marvel Animation Age noted that with the origin out of the way the show was able to get to the main story of the series. He found Silver Surfer's frustration interesting as well as him lashing out in anger after his years of peaceful training. He wasn't sure if searching for his homeworld would be interesting for a whole season but it was watchable here. He found it interesting to see the space station react to his arrival in instant fear. He liked how the story is from Silver Surfer's perspective to see his thoughts, as it doesn't work with every character. He didn't think it would always work for someone like Batman or Superman but did work here and on Spider-Man. He noted that the pacing of the series was off and he wasn't waiting for the next episode. He did find the episode enjoyable. "I imagine I'd enjoy it a lot more if I was a fan of the character (I'm sure there are dozens of Kirby references and such that I'm missing) but I'm just hoping the series picks up the pace a little."
The episode has a 8.0 on TV.com and 7.4 on the Internet Movie Database.